Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-01-12

and II customer wanted any thing he
helped himself and entered il on slate
left upon the counter for that purpose.
In answer 10 question he said that
theft was OF very rare occurrence, and
when any fellow was caught at such
deviltry, quick work was made with
him; the citizens held a meeting and
took il out of his hide with hickories. ]
had often heard of Arcadian simplicity,
but this little town furnished the only
instance of IL that ever fell under my
notice.
Arkadelphia is situated about seventy
miles above Camden, which is the usua
head of navigation on the Wichita. II
can be reached by boats scmi-occasion
ally; that is TO say, when there are con
siderable freshets. IL was one of these
occasions now, and Captain ID. took his
boat up there to get lot of cotton that
was awaiting cheap transportation. The
land opposite the town was quite high,
nearly on level with the tops OF the
steamers chimneys, and between il and
tho river bank was q sloping beach
about fifty feet wide. The high land is
level and was covered with a dense
growth of small cane as far as the eye
could sec. A cancbrake is an object OF
singular interest TO a spectator who sees
one for the first time, creating an inn.
preston of profound solitude. A por.
ton of the cave had been cleared from
the edge of the land, and several tier;
of cotton were piled up there. TO en-
able this to be loaded onto the boat
staging had to be constructed over sixty
feet long. II was made of scantling
and boards, supplemented at the end
next the land by the regular boat-stag.
ing. In hauling up the foremost one OF
these stagings one of the rope-eyes
broke, forming rugged hook that had
n very threatening aspect 10 the un-
wary. The loading on of the cotton OK
tended far into tho night, and it became
necessary to build fires oil along the
banks to light the men at their work.
and the passengers found it very pleas
ant TO ramble about in the edge of the
canebrake by the dim light OF the fires.
OF course, they soon began to talk
about what they would do if they should
SEQ bear, and every one was going to
do something very brave and dar.
ing. One big, burly fellow said
If he should como across a bear,
he would catch it by the ears
and kick its bowels out. Among the
hands on the boat was an Italian, who
acted as porter, eking out his meagcr
wages by means of certain entertaining
tricks for the performance, of which he
received small donceurs from tho pas
sengers. He had been an attache OF
various side shows, and was a tolerable
juggler in small way, and a pretty
good ventriloquist in smaller way.
That is, he could initiate the snarling
and swapping of dog at mans hoels,
or the caterwauling of n cat in some
ones hat, and various small tricks Of
that kind. Hearing the boasts of the
passengers as TO what they would do il
they saw bear, he concluded to have
little sport at their expense, even at
the risk of getting chance shot from
revolver. Downing a buffalo robe he
slyly made detour from the boat 10
the rear of where the cotton was being
handled, and as he drew near com.
menced making jumps, Stimulating as
nearly as possible the Looping of bear
through the brake. The passengers as
well as the boat hands soon got
glimpse of him. and then such n scam.
pering took place as has seldom been
seen, every one seeming TO forget the
brave things he had promised to do.
The man who was going to take the bear
by the ears was the worst scared of any,
and in his haste to get on tho staging
missed his footing, and would have
gone down the bank but chat his cloth
ing caught in the jaggej nook before
mentioned and thore he Bang suspend
ed, uttcring tho most fearful shricks.
The hook had torn his flesh little and
he thought himself in the grasp of the
bear. While he was still hanging there
the porter came stalking on board with
the big buffalo robe wrapped around
him, a la big injun, and appeared to be
quite curious TO learn what the row was
about. He had some trouble 10 make
his peace with his irate victims, but sue
ceeded in pcrsuading them that it was
entirely unintentional on his part and
that no had not tho least idea of being
mistaken for bear.
The return passage being without
stoppage, was made much quicker and
when regained New Orleans !
felt that I had been amply repaid for
my trip up the Wachita. / had seen
strange river and strange country,
unlike any thing to be seen elsewhere,
as well as strange type Of people, Pc
culiar to tho river and the country.
Such trip is well worth making by
any one who has tho leisure and Is
willing to go slow. st. Louis ReputH-